An explain article

“Insurance coverage ends with the expiration of the day of the last month preceding the day which corresponds in number to the day on which the insurance year begins.”

All ambiguities eliminated? Trust established? Purchase made? Or are you still puzzled about what these lines actually want to tell you? Companies repeatedly succeed in sustainably confusing customers by using language that completely misses the linguistic world of customers. We shouldn't be surprised if the customer considers our communication to be bullshit bingo.

The language we use to sell products, explain functions, and answer questions plays a role that is often greatly underestimated. Language is immensely important for the success of companies and the creation of genuine brand experiences.

The competition of the future is not led through products, but through service and communication.

And our brand is not solely defined by what we promise in advertising, but also by how we communicate with our stakeholders every day. When companies decide not to play bullshit bingo with customers in the future, but instead communicate with them in a modern and eye-level manner and translate their own core brand values into language, then we are talking about Corporate Language or Brand Language. But what is behind these buzzwords and concepts? And how do you implement it in the company?

What is Corporate Language?

Corporate language describes a rule-based, controlled, and distinctive language with which the company communicates verbally and in writing. These concepts are comparable to corporate design, where it is also detailed how a company appears. Whether the individual employee likes it or not. The same applies to language. If the company wants to stand for a warm tone, then even a grumpy, always bad-tempered employee must adhere to it, even on Monday morning. Corporate language is a binding concept where your brand values are implemented in speech patterns, word usage, and communication processes.

What should you regulate?

First, you should define in detail which language your company uses to communicate with the target audience. In practice, this ends with a whole series of rules, because language is influenced by various aspects. It’s about speech patterns, style, tone, comprehensibility, and vocabulary.

For example, in terms of tone, it's about how you design your customer approach, whether you use informal "du" or formal "Sie", which words you choose when, and whether you want to appear conservative, modern, innovative, or creative. Besides the tone, there are many other aspects to consider. This starts with boring topics like spellings, goes through the structure and organization of information, to comprehensibility and handling of technical language. Make sure to formulate your rules as specifically as possible so even the Heinrich Heine fan among your employees knows exactly how long a sentence can be.

How do you implement it?

Developing a corporate language is a mammoth task and is often underestimated. Like in any change process, introducing a new language can sometimes be painful and annoying – because we often interfere with employees' habits established over decades. Additionally, employees who consider themselves secret language talents might not agree with what you develop. Therefore, the introduction of a corporate language must be planned very sensitively and meticulously. Expect resistance and seemingly unsolvable problems. But how and where do you start?

Bring the boss on board

First, get the boss on board. Without unconditional support from the top, your project will fail. During the introduction of a corporate language, many elementary decisions must be made. And for some of these, you need approval from company management. Or you need decisions on budget and capacity issues. It is very helpful when the boss is on your side.

Provide a big table

Next, you need a big table that provides enough space for all involved. Because language affects all areas of your company. And corporate language only works in the end if it is implemented from the marketing department to the legal department. And yes: Even legal texts are part of your corporate language and can be worded in a customer-friendly manner (even if your lawyer claims otherwise). So try to get employees from as many departments as possible for a corporate language project. Because if everyone pulls together, the direction is usually already right.

Analyze the current state

Then comes a ruthless and open analysis of your communication. Where do you stand today, what do you need to do to be even better tomorrow? Your current language, with all its strengths and weaknesses, is the starting point of your new corporate language. Therefore, make sure to receive texts from all areas of your company. Look at your letters, emails, brochures, online texts, post-contractual information, instructions, and responses to complaints. Analyze in detail which words you use today (most common words/word patterns/word combinations), whether you consistently and correctly address your customers, and whether your language can even be understood by your customers without them having to study rocket science.

Create the Rulebook

Once your current analysis is complete (yes, there will be tears), the next critical step is to follow. Develop your Corporate Language and set detailed rules for how you want to communicate in the future (and yes, there will be disputes). Place particular emphasis on clearly defining the use of words. Which words should no longer be used in the future (respectfully, to the attention of etc.), and which words should be used more frequently in the future (dynamic or powerful, simple or trouble-free etc.). Also consider that you need to regulate not only words, but also the interplay of words (often referred to as grammar or structure in common parlance) in detail. Set rules for when infinitives, passive voice or a more distanced tone are appropriate. Regulate how letters or internal communications begin. Set rules for where and how the customer is addressed. A tip at this point: Definitely get help from outside, as only then can you get a completely unbiased view of your language and potential.

Involve the Employees

Let's assume you have completed your new rulebook. You have managed to develop an individual, distinctive, understandable, modern, and customer-tailored language. You hold all the rules in a beautifully designed, glossy-printed language bible in your hands. Now it's time to sit back and relax, proud of what you've achieved. Stop! No! Unfortunately not. Now the work is just beginning. Because when you start with a Corporate Language, suddenly every employee who writes becomes a brand ambassador. Every letter is a brand message. Every internal directive is a brand message.

Every internal directive is a brand message. Every instruction is a brand message. Every web text is a brand message. Every sheet of paper around a contract is a brand message. So if your brand message is going to work, every employee has to participate.

But how do you motivate your employees? With presentations, training, and webinars, you can sensitize your employees and make them fit for Corporate Language. Employees also need tools to easily apply what they have learned in any document later on. By now, there are good software programs like TextLab, which you can use to check your own Corporate Language as with a spell check. Additional support measures such as information stands in the cafeteria, posters in the hallways, mousepads and notepads, or fun quiz apps help keep the topic constantly simmering. Because all too quickly and gladly, one falls back into old patterns when no one is watching.

Measuring Success

If the employees are sensitized, trained, and equipped with tools, you have almost succeeded. Your customer should never think of bullshit bingo again when reading your letters. However, it is still about measuring the impact. Both with the customer (does my new language work as intended?), and internally (how much effort is it and what does it achieve?). For these critical questions in a Corporate Language project, you need to conduct sophisticated measurements. There is a wide range of methods and exciting data that you should collect. Because only what you can measure can be controlled.

Dr. Anikar M. Haseloff